Entrepreneurship and pressure are intertwined. The leader is the one in charge, and everyone looks to you when problems arise. You assemble your team, set goals, choose a strategy, and maintain a clear vision. In many ways, you must thrive under pressure.
Do these characteristics make for the optimal CEO? Which individuals have these attributes and how do they play out when the pressure increases?
According to Vitalijus Majorovas, a co-founder at Kilo Health: “We, the co-founders, are just ordinary individuals with grand ambitions. There are times when we work twice as long and intensely as others, yet we’re equipped with the same amount of daytime, energy, and capacity.”
Kilo Health is a digital health and wellness company with more than 5 million customers worldwide.
However, Majorovas tells Digital Journal, as leaders in the startup world, we cannot just call it quits when we are tired. Pressure trends to come when the leader cannot immediately solve and impact their problems.
Majorovas presents the following advice for leaders in this position: “Reflect on how you’ve reacted under pressure in the past. Did you withdraw? Did you give up? Conversely, did you excel when faced with pressure? In the best-case scenario, you find motivation in both situations—during calm periods and when storms hit.”
When it comes to decision-making it is important that the CEO remains focused and sticks to a structured plan. There also needs to be a clear and realistic end goal in mind.
It is also important to try and focus teams on prioritisation. What are the initiatives that can make the most impact? There will always be pressure, but it can be managed to feel more focused.
Majorovas continues: “This is because you don’t overthink the storm; you focus on doing what needs to be done and continue growing your business as usual.”
The optimal approach is to embrace the challenge, says Majorovas: “Just as there are challenges in every aspect of human life, there are challenges when you are the founder of a product and the leader of a startup. Pressure can serve as a powerful motivator and ally, but it can also be the force that discourages you from pursuing this lifestyle.”
